High School To Present “Romeo & Juliet,” Virtually

Westwood High School’s Performing Arts Department’s “Fall Play” of “Romeo & Juliet” will go live on AnywhereSeat at 7 pm. Owing to COVID-19, the performance will be a movie, with students’ voices and images from Classical Comics’ graphic novel version of William Shakespeare’s play.

As Westwood Patch reported in June, director and WHS Performing Arts teacher Jim Howard picked “Romeo & Juliet” as the Fall play before Westwood Public Schools had even confirmed how the 2020-2021 school year would take place. “The feedback I got [from students] was that they were both excited and relieved that we would be doing something in the fall,” he says.

“Most of our rehearsals were outdoors and always socially distant. The kids connected and bonded and shared this unique production in their own way. It is different, but I hope it lasts for them as a bright moment in a difficult year,” says Howard.

The audience will be watching Classical Comics’ art while hearing Westwood High School students’ voices. “I learned an approach to casting a long time ago that I still use. I ask the question ‘what kind of Juliet would so-and-so make?’ By considering the qualities of the actor, I put myself, the show, and most importantly the student in a position to succeed. The only part that I didn’t have to consider was any of the stage combat,” comments Howard about casting students for this production.

“For something I had never done, it went surprisingly smoothly,” Howard says of directing voice actors. “I knew I could teach/direct the Shakespeare, but the recording went really easily. The students were great, as they always are.”

“Love is terribly powerful. It gets us to see past so many petty things. The love of the kids taught the parents to put aside their differences. In the play, the kids pay the ultimate price. In life, hopefully, we can see that there is so much for us to learn from the kids around us. They see the world with a fresh perspective. It is an empowering play that has endured for hundreds of years. It isn’t without its problems, but it is likely to stay relevant for hundreds more,” replies Howard upon being asked if “Romeo & Juliet” is relevant in 2021.

In the fall, The Associated Press came knocking. “The show must go on: Students put a spin on ‘Romeo & Juliet’” was featured as part of their “One Good Thing” segment. Newspapers as far away as Ireland featured Westwood High School’s production. “The Superintendent’s office connected me with a woman who connected me with the AP. Folks thought it was a feel-good story during the pandemic,” says Howard.

The AnywhereSeat link will go live at 7 pm EST on January 8, and be available until February 8. “I’ve put in five tiers of pricing starting at zero and ranging up to what would be a significant donation. We spent a lot of money on “Addams Family” anticipating that ticket sales would replenish the account as it always does. We are now faced with some financial challenges that will force us to be creative for a few years. If fans of the program want to help us get back on track it would be great. If folks are financially strapped, I don’t want that to keep them from seeing this version of ‘Romeo & Juliet,’” explains Howard of the pricing structure.

“I just hope people watch it. It runs about an hour and is truly unlike anything they will have seen before. I’m really proud of the work the cast did on this, and proud of how the final product came out. That all said, I look forward to the day we can be back rehearsing on stage,” concludes Howard.

The AnywhereSeat link will go live at 7 pm EST on January 8, and be available until February 8.

Photos accompanying this article are used with permission from Michael Mao. He requests that those who enjoy his work consider donating to the Westwood Community Scholarship Fund or another Westwood High School scholarship, such as the Friends of the Performing Arts.